


Fight 'Em 'Til You Can't

by wwdh



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, Gen, Implied Soldier: 76 | Jack Morrison/Reaper | Gabriel Reyes - Freeform, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Light Angst, Mentioned Angela "Mercy" Ziegler, Young Jesse McCree, dad!Gabriel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-06
Updated: 2017-05-06
Packaged: 2018-10-28 15:07:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10833750
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wwdh/pseuds/wwdh
Summary: Four people hold the fate of Jesse McCree in their hands.  Let's hope they make the right choice.





	Fight 'Em 'Til You Can't

**Author's Note:**

> Background: Gabriel still saves Jesse and takes the teen under his wing in this AU. Both Gabriel and Ana also have helped Jesse improve with a gun.
> 
> Someone's probably already done this, and if they have, send me a comment and I'll take this down.

Jesse trembled as he peeled off his serape and rolled up the sleeve of his shirt, already knowing what he would find. Tears stung his eyes as he examined the crescent of broken skin that cut into one of the one of the wings inked into his left forearm. Damn, and he’d liked that tattoo.

He shakily got to his feet and walked over to the table where Morrison, Amari, Rutledge, and Reyes were planning their next mission for rations. Clearing his throat and pushing up the brim of his hat, he rasped, “Reyes, I need t’ talk to you.”

“McCree, I’m a little—” Reyes’s eyes met his. “ _Mijo_ , what’s wrong?”

At the term of endearment, Jesse could not hold back his pathetic sobbing as he approached the four and showed his arm, a trickle of blood running down the ink skeleton.

Amari gasped. Morrison’s face fell. Rutledge immediately advanced, whipped out his gun, and pointed it at Jesse’s head.

“NO!” Reyes stepped in front of the boy and spread his arms in a protective stance. “Don’t you _fucking dare_.” He glanced over his shoulder, and in a lower voice he asked, “How long?”

“I-It got me in the last five minutes or so, w-when we had that close call." Jesse sniffled and observed the wound again. "If it helps any, the wound isn't t-that deep because I was wearing my serape...”

“So the virus has been in your body for maybe fifteen minutes,” Amari piped up. Jesse could see her mentally calculating the spread of the toxin and weighing the possibilities. Gently, diplomatically: “Gabriel, I don’t know if we can—”

“No. _No_. He’s my responsibility.” From his position behind Reyes, Jesse practically heard the cold look the man gave Amari.

Rutledge slammed his fist on the table with such force that the whole base seemed to shake. “That doesn’t mean you can decide the fate of the entire group! We _all_ have people we are responsible for!”

“Mako is right,” Amari supplied, “This is a decision the four of us have to agree upon.” She turned to Morrison, whose jaw was set in a firm line, and waited for his input.

“Gabe…” began Morrison.

“Jack, he’s _seventeen_. He’s _only seventeen_ …”

Never had Jesse heard Reyes’s voice so soft— much less had he witnessed this powerful, respected man _beg_ — and fresh tears began to flow. “’S okay, Reyes. If you just let me take somethin’ sharp, I can leave the base and—”

“No.” Reyes turned around and clasped Jesse’s shoulders. He looked directly into the boy’s eyes as he uttered, “Jesse, you are not going to hurt yourself, and I am _not_ letting you be put down like a dog.”

Rutledge made a displeased grunt at this, but Amari sighed and stated with authority, “We will have to amputate his arm.”

“If that’s what it takes to save him.” Reyes questioned Jesse with a look, and Jesse confirmed grimly with shut eyes and a single, firm nod.

All eyes turned to Morrison, then, and the blond simply said, “We need all the hands we can get to protect the base. Your gun skills are still needed, McCree.”

Rutledge shifted away from Jesse, muttering, “I’m shooting him myself if he tries to bite anyone.”

 

McCree stayed with Gabriel as Ana and Miss Ziegler prepped for the operation. They went to the tiny room on base reserved for those of all faiths, located just down the hall from the medical bay, and whispered prayers together in Spanish. Jack remained just outside, listening to them, the religion taught to him so long ago lost when everything went to hell.

As they headed to the med bay, Gabriel pulled the kid into a tight hug. “I’ll be here when you get out.”

McCree nodded and whispered thanks for all the trouble. Gabriel removed the kid’s cowboy hat and placed it on his own head.

The doors slid shut and Gabriel and Jack were left alone in the hallway. Jack waited for Gabriel to speak.

“He doesn’t even want them to use painkillers, anesthetics, or anything. He said it’d be a waste. That other people down the line would need it more than him. That’s the sort of kid he is.” Gabriel huffed in a sort of forced laugh. “‘ _Something sharp_ ’, he said… He didn’t even offer to use his own goddamn gun or a knife to off himself. He’s trying so hard to be a part of this place. To not be an inconvenience.” 

Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at Jack. “Did you agree to this because I wanted you to or because of his way with a gun?”

Jack closed his eyes and breathed out tiredly. “You know the answer to that.”

**Author's Note:**

> I am the worst at naming things and honestly just looked up "songs for a zombie apocalypse".  
> I kinda threw Mako/Roadhog under the bus, sorry... I originally imagined Ana being the one to say they should get rid of Jesse, but I couldn't do that since they have a close relationship, too.  
> I haven't written fanfic in a _reeeeally_ long time. Constructive criticism is welcomed.


End file.
